Knowing the Right Time
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
ceṟunaraik kāṇiṟ cumakka viṟuvarai / kāṇiṟ kiḻakkān talai
When facing an adversary, endure until a decisive vulnerability appears; when it does, the adversary's dominance will fall.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“If foes' detested form they see, with patience let them bear; / When fateful hour at last they spy,- the head lies there.”
“Bend down before thy adversaries till the day of their decline: when that day is come thou mayest easily throw them down headlong.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
செறுநரைக் காணின் சுமக்க= தாம் வெல்லக்கருதிய அரசர், பகைவர்க்கு இறுதிக்காலம் வருந்துணையும் அவரைக்கண்டால் பணிக; இறுவரை காணின் தலை கிழக்காம்= பணியவே, அக்காலம் வந்திறும்வழி அவர் தகைவின்றி இறுவர்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar counsels strategic endurance until an opponent's vulnerable time. Modern applications must preserve lawful, nonviolent accountability rather than literal submission followed by destruction.